Divorce
by Useful Oxymoron
Summary: A short Bellamione one-shot: Two witches find themselves sitting in a solicitor's office. In front from them lies waiting to be signed the document which will end their marriage. What happens in that very moment?


Hello everyone,

Just something which came to me during a boring bus ride. This story is stand-alone and not related to any of my other Bellamione stories. I hope you'll like it.

**Divorce**

_A Bellamione Story._

Hermione kept staring at the desk in front of her. She supposed it was very nice, especially with the lovely bookcase beyond it. Hardwood, solid, undoubtedly quite sturdy.

Truth be told, she only focused on the desk because she couldn't look at her partner who was sitting in the comfy chair next to her. Her eyes roved towards the scroll lain out on the desk. All the both of them had to do was to sign it and it would be the end of their marriage. It just felt so very... final.

She'd listened numbly to the solicitor as he bombarded them both with dry legal talk and reiterated the agreed upon division of their assets, leaving the both of them alone in the room to sign the papers in private. In truth, Hermione wanted nothing but some basics, which included her books. The manor they'd lived in had never been hers, so it didn't seem fair to take anything out of it.

Hermione looked her side and saw Bellatrix next to her, staring stoically in front of her focused on nothing in particular. The silence was deafening, the only thing to be heard was the sound of the heavy rain slashing against the window-pane with the occasional thunder the distance.

"I'll, uh, be collecting some my things later, I suppose," said Hermione, sounding timid as she broke the silence.

"Still staying with Potter?" Bellatrix asked with a tone on her voice which told her that the dark witch was in turmoil. It was a good thing Harry was married, or Bellatrix would fly of the handle in a jealous rage as she tended to.

"For now, yes. When I have my things, I'll move back into my parents' house for the time being."

A snort. "Your parents always hated me. I'm sure they'll be overjoyed!"

"You know that's not true," Hermione said.

There was a moment silence before Bellatrix crossed her arms. "So, we're actually going through with it?"

"Please," Hermione pleaded. "Don't make this harder than it already is."

The dark witch let out a mocking snort. "So you at least admit it's hard for you?"

"Bella…"

Bellatrix let out an annoyed grunt and rose from her seat. In a few strides, she stood at the window and leaned on the windowsill, keeping her back turned to Hermione. Bellatrix was angry with her, and Hermione couldn't blame her.

"We have passion…"

"We need more than passion, Bella."

Bellatrix still didn't look at her. "We have plenty of sex."

"This is not about sex! This is about us!" Hermione replied. "We're constantly yelling at each other!" That much was true. Their relationship had always been a fiery one.

Bellatrix still kept her back turned to her. "Why this farce?! Our marriage..."

"Our fate of our marriage was sealed the moment we drew wands on each other," Hermione spoke resolutely.

The dark witch fell silent, but Hermione wasn't fooled for a moment. Her shoulders were trembling ever so slightly, and there was a shaky quality to her labored breath. Her dark witch was crying but was trying to hide it. It broke Hermione's heart.

"Bella," Hermione whispered, her hand instinctively reaching out to lay on her shoulder.

"I gave up _everything_ for you!" Bellatrix spoke with a shaky voice as Hermione squeezed slightly.

"Don't throw that in my face!" Hermione admonished. "Do realize just how many friendships I lost when we decided to act on our feelings? You're not the only one who's had to pay a price! Do you really want to keep a tally?!"

The young witch was startled to have Bellatrix spin around and lay her hands on her cheeks, her face now inches away from hers. The dark witch's mascara had run, black tears streaking across her cheeks all the way down to her chin. "Look me in the eye! Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me anymore!"

Hermione's expression was one of pain. "I love the bones of you," Hermione yelled back. "That was never the issue!"

"They why are you leaving me?!"

"I don't want to!" Hermione shouted back, feeling her own tears stinging her eyes. "Bella, don't you see? We can't stop hurting each other!"

Bellatrix cocked her head, looking at Hermione incredulously.

"Our entire relationship consists of posturing, arguing and make-up sex!" Hermione replied.

Her wife's face contorted in a mask of pure anger. "That's an exaggeration and you know it! We hold each other whenever the nightmares come and..."

"A few moments of tenderness don't make up for all the shouting!" Hermione retorted. "God, the others all told us it would never work out between us."

"Bugger the others!" Bellatrix shouted back. "You've always been overly worried about what other people think! They're not important! Nobody is important. Only _you_ are! The whole reason for us being here is because we don't talk to each other."

That made Hermione shake her head in disbelief. "Like it's so easy to talk to you, with your smugness and your mood-swings..."

"Well, you're not exactly easy to talk to either!" Bellatrix raged. "You're an insufferable arrogant know-it-all who thinks she has everything and everyone figured out! Do you have any idea how unappealing that can be?!"

Hermione placed her hands in her side. "And yet I've never been able to figure out you! For the life of me, I don't understand you!"

Now it was Bellatrix's turn to smirk triumphantly. "And that's why we're married… Admit it, kitten, you get bored even more easily than I do."

Hermione buried her head in her hands while hot tears flew forth unimpeded. "God, why do you always have to be so difficult?"

"What do you want, hm?" Bellatrix whispered as she took the sobbing girl in her arms. The embrace was eagerly returned, Hermione clutching onto her with desperation. "A boring partner, 2.4 kids and a horrible 9-to-5 job at the Ministry you'll be bored of after the first month while you're hurtling toward the grave? You deserve excitement and challenge in your life, kitten."

"God," Hermione sobbed. "When I drew my wand on you, I wanted to _hurt_ you. I wanted to _injure_ you. I honestly wanted to see you writhing on the ground in _agony_!"

"Finally she admits it," Bellatrix smiled to herself before shrugging. "Even if you actually did it, it's nothing that never happened to me before, kitten, and you certainly can't do worse than the Dark Lord. Are you really that scared of me, kitten? Is that what this is all about?"

"You still don't understand!" Hermione called back. "I'm not scared of you! You've made me scared of _myself_!"

Finally, there was understanding in her dark eyes. Her dark curls fell out of formation as she threw her head back and let out a mocking cackle. "Is that why you want this divorce? To protect me from you? Oh, how utterly _precious_!"

"Don't. Just don't!" Hermione hissed, not in the mood for mockery. She broke the embrace and took a few steps back. "I am afraid that, one day, you'll push me too far and I'll actually… Goddamn it! I love you so much, Bella. I want to be with you, but… I can't keep going on like this."

The dark witch's expression softened so much and it resembled the expression Bellatrix had offered her many times during their illicit meetings before their marriage. An expression of love, desire and softness. "I love you. I want you, my little muddy. But I can't change what I am. Not more than I already have."

"I shouldn't expect you to. I've asked too much of you already," said Hermione. "But you're changing me. And not for the better."

"Better is in the eye of the beholder," said Bellatrix. "You shouldn't be afraid to admit to yourself that you have a dark side with dark desires. What are you going to do? Run, hide and hope it goes away? It never goes away, Hermione! I know that better than anyone!"

"You know what I mean!" Hermione narrowed her eyes. "We bring out the worst in each other! It's better for the both of us if..."

"And the best!" Bellatrix hissed. "It's sad that I have to explain this to you! We challenge each other. You've made me want to be a better person."

Hermione shook herself. "I suppose... I am your dark mirror, then?"

"I always did say you needed to stand up for yourself more," said Bellatrix. "Come now, you've never been more confident since we've been married. But...I suppose… I could _try_ tone it down a little."

The willingness to compromise was more than a little surprising to Hermione, but soon enough it was shame that overcame her as she realized she had blamed her wife for her own fears and shortcomings. "You've made enough sacrifices for my sake."

"You don't know what you want," Bellatrix sighed and forced the issue by taking the crying girl into a firm embrace. The moment Hermione felt her wife's familiar warmth, she pressed herself against her, the sweet smell of Bellatrix's hair tickling her nose.

"I do love you, kitten. Never doubt that," Bellatrix whispered in her ear before laying her hands on Hermione's cheeks and gently kissing her forehead.

"We're so fucking dysfunctional…" Hermione sobbed.

"Do you think you can live without me?" asked Bellatrix with humor on her voice. "I don't think you can."

That made Hermione laugh through her tears in spite of herself. She looked her dark witch in the eye, and saw a warm smiling face covered with black mascara tears. Her proud, relentless and cruel Bellatrix... who could, ironically, give her so much love. Hermione smiled and leaned in, brushing lips with her. She felt her eyes getting watery as she held Bellatrix close.

"Take me home," was Hermione's loving demand.

The light and the darkness, irresistibly drawn to one another yet both always corrupting the other when drawing close. Oddly enough, it took almost ending their marriage to come to that understanding.

And so, the two witches left the solicitors office, the divorce-papers forgotten and unsigned.


End file.
